Murray defense to say Jackson caused own death

(CBS News) -- For the two years since Michael Jackson died, the question has been -- who is responsible?

In court last week, three medical experts pointed the finger directly at Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, who gave the singer the powerful sedative Propofol to help him sleep.

But by the end of the week, defense lawyers will begin laying out their case, pointing the finger back at Michael Jackson.

CBS News legal analyst Trent Copeland said, "Don't expect the defense to try to confront this mountain of evidence that's been building against Dr. Conrad Murray over the course of the last three weeks -- they won't. What they will do instead is try to narrowly focus their attack on the two minutes when Dr. Conrad Murray left Michael Jackson's side."

CBS News National Correspondent Ben Tracy reported Murray's attorneys are expected to argue that, during this time, Jackson gave himself another dose of Propofol and took eight tablets of the anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam, and that's what killed him.

"The theory will also go on to say that Conrad Murray could not have been responsible for his death because Michael Jackson's own conduct was a superseding, intervening factor that contributed to his death," Copeland said.

Murray's defense team is expected to call 15 witnesses to the stand.

For more on what's next in the case, "The Early Show" turned to Jean Casarez, correspondent for truTV's "In Session."

Casarez said, "The issue, the challenge (in this case) is cause of death. Who caused Michael Jackson's death? Because, if the jury believes there's reasonable doubt, that Michael swallowed Lorazepam pills or that he put some Propofol in him right before he died, then they cannot convict Conrad Murray."

She added, "(The defense) has really got to focus in on Michael Jackson. I don't think they have to just absolutely make a mockery of his life, but they have to show the person he was, that he was so uptight, he was paranoid. He wasn't making rehearsals. He wasn't well. He was absolutely scared to death to go on the road for this big concert tour. (And) because of that, he needed to sleep. He would do anything to sleep. You know, a lot of the jurors have family members that have been addicted to alcohol and drugs. They have got to show that addict mentality, so a juror can say, 'You know? An addict will do what they have to do and sneak behind their back to get what they want. And for Michael Jackson, it was to take pills and inject Propofol so he could rest."'

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